A Comparison of Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Electric Vehicles to Emissions from Internal Combustion Vehicles

Increased use of electric vehicles has been proposed as a means of reducing anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. It is therefore reasonable to compare emissions associated with generating the electricity used by electric vehicles with the emissions associated with internal-combustion vehicles, including hybrid-electric vehicles. The student exercises in this activity will permit students to understand the trade-offs involved in making a choice of vehicles. When emissions from electrical generation are taken into account, electric vehicles that obtain power in most U.S. states do have lower emissions than gasoline-powered vehicles, but in some states the heavy use of fossil fuels for electric generation causes electric vehicles to do no better than gasoline-powered hybrid vehicles. In a few states, electric vehicle emissions are worse than those from comparable hybrid vehicles.